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“One Hundred Ways to say Hello!” - APG Media Release
Posted under NewsApplied Photography Group, Palmerston North: Media Release 27/03/2008
From the closing stages of another very successful International Festival of Cultures in Palmerston North comes a challenging proposition. How many different ways can you say “hello”?
The Manawatu Region now proudly hosts migrant peoples from more than 125 unique cultures; some recent arrivals, but many with generational roots set down over more than a hundred years. All carry their heritage with both pride and vigour, striving to become integrated and productive citizens within their adopted communities.
Most do their best to hide the stresses they encounter as they come to terms with this new place and its sometimes unusual social customs and practices. Others find it very hard to make the needed transitions.
Yet each and every one brings stories, and what better way to start a connection with those tales than with one of our (English) language!s earliest-learned exclamations; “hello”.
The Applied Photo Group is a project-focussed team of advanced members of the Manawatu Camera Club. For 2008 they have undertaken to capture a snapshot of many of these migrant peoples as they live, play celebrate and join together, to create an exhibition of a hundred, larger than life-size portraits. Portraits that will give a wide audience chances to connect with these people who bring unique colour, value and texture to our community.
“During next year!s Festival our images will form an exhibition event stretching from galleries adjacent to the square, across the CBD to Te Manawa Museum, where an official opening event will be staged. Free public viewing will be possible over the time of next years International Festival of Cultures” says group spokesperson, Udo von Mulert.
Members of the Applied Photo Group (APG) have been establishing connections and creating opportunities to get people involved since January with very positive progress made so far. Interestingly more than half of the APG membership were themselves born outside of New Zealand, bringing Scottish, Indian, Cockney, German and English perspectives to the project.
At this time the team are still looking for more people willing to join in this very exciting venture. Involvement costs only a small amount of time, the reward could well be a place in our region!s history!
Following exhibition the collection will be entrusted as a civic taonga, to be gifted to the City!s Ian Matheson City Archive where it will be studied by future students and interested peoples.
